Edible water-continuous composition

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an edible, water-continuous composition comprising 15-80 wt. % water, by weight of the composition, 5-50 wt. % comminuted, sunflower seeds, by weight of the composition, wherein the comminuted sunflower seeds consist of raw sunflower seeds and roasted sunflower seeds such that 5-50 wt. % of the comminuted sunflower seeds is roasted sunflower seeds.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an edible water-continuous compositioncomprising 15-50 wt. %, by weight of the composition, comminutedsunflower seeds. The comminuted sunflower seeds comprise 5-50 wt. %roasted sunflower seeds. The present invention also relates to a methodfor preparing such an edible water-continuous composition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is increasing consumer demand for tasty, clean-label, veganalternatives to dairy spreads. An example of a currently available vegandairy alternative is Zwergenwiese Streich Natur, which comprises water,raw sunflower seeds and oil. DE 10 2006 037 608 discloses a process formaking a vegan diary alternative such as Zwergenwiese.

WO 008121 describes another commercially available dairy alternativesold under the trade name ‘Ibi’ which typically comprises 20 wt. %comminuted sunflower seeds, 33.3 wt. % water, 0.7 wt. % salt, 40 wt. %oil, 6 wt. % citric acid. However, the Zwergenwiese or Ibi vegan dairyalternatives have a bland flavour, with acrid flavour notes/aftertaste,which hinders widespread market acceptance of such vegan dairyalternatives.

Sun Yum is a sunflower seed based spread that also comprises water,sunflower oil and xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a stabilizer, added toprevent phase separation, but such additives are not desired byconsumers who wish to purchase clean-label products.

US 2015 007246 discloses an edible seed butter comprising comminutedseeds. Example 1 shows method for making a seed butter consisting of 12ounces of roasted pumpkin seed kernels, 10 ounces of roasted sunflowerseeds, 8 ounces of toasted sesame seeds, 5 ounces of honey, 1.25 ouncesof grape seed oil, 1 ounce of sunflower seed oil and 0.5 ounces of saltwere combined and ground until a smooth consistency resemblingtraditional peanut butter was achieved. Although such a seed butter hasa roasted taste, such seed butters have a cloying texture that is notdesirable for many consumers.

EP1174042 describes a spread containing sunflower seeds. The seeds aredehulled and processed raw. Venktesh et al. (J. Agric. Food chem. 41,1991, 19) researches the effect of various treatments such as roastingon sunflower seeds. Roasted sunflower seeds have less emulsificationstability than raw sunflower seeds in water.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,465 describes a way of making a creamy smoothy pastewith sunflower seeds in oil and sugar. Gonzalez Perez (J. Agric. Foodchem. 53, 2005, 2261) investigates emulsion properties of sunflowerproteins. They express good emulsification properties, based onsunflower protein isolate and sunflower albumins. DE19834925 describesthe use of grinded sunflower seeds in water into which sunflower oil isincorporated to yield a dispersion. DE202011002097 describes a aqueousfermented spread containing 35-45% seeds. US2008/145486 describes awater continuous dispersion with low amounts of powdered vegetablematter such as sunflower seeds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,818 also describessunflower butter spread.

There exists a widespread consumer need for vegan versions of diaryspreads that have an improved flavour, good mouthfeel and that areresistant to syneresis on storage without additional stabilizers

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that atasty, clean label vegan product is provided by an edible,water-continuous composition comprising, by weight of the composition,

-   -   a. 15-80 wt. % water,    -   b. 5-50 wt. % comminuted, sunflower seeds,    -   wherein the comminuted sunflower seeds consists of raw sunflower        seeds and roasted sunflower seeds such that 5-50 wt. % of the        comminuted sunflower seeds is roasted sunflower seeds.

Surprisingly, a composition comprising comminuted sunflower seedsconsisting of 5-50 wt. % roasted seeds confers a water-continuouscomposition, i.e. a vegan food product, with a creamy mouth feel. Inaddition, such a food product is stable on storage. Without wishing tobe bound by theory, it is proposed that the comminuted, roasted seedscontribute to the good mouth feel and taste, without compromising theoverall stability of the composition.

The inventors have also found that a water-continuous composition inwhich 5-50 wt. % of the sunflower seeds are roasted sunflower seeds, hasa pleasant roasted flavour, that lacks an acrid (“raw”) aftertaste.

The present invention further relates to a method for the preparation ofan edible water-continuous composition, and to the use of comminutedsunflower seeds to stabilize a water-continuous composition comprisingroasted sunflower seeds.

The present invention also relates to the use of comminuted rawsunflower seeds as a thermal stabilizer for a water-continuouscomposition comprising roasted sunflower seeds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention provides an edible,water-continuous composition comprising,

a. 15-80 wt. % water, by weight of the composition,

b. 5-50 wt. % comminuted, sunflower seeds, by weight of the composition,

wherein the comminuted sunflower seeds consist of raw sunflower seedsand roasted sunflower seeds such that 5-50 wt. % of the comminutedsunflower seeds is roasted sunflower seeds.

The word ‘comprising’ as used herein is intended to mean ‘including’ butnot ‘consisting of’ or ‘composed of’. In other words, the listed stepsor options need not be exhaustive.

Unless specified otherwise, numerical ranges expressed in the format‘from x to y’ or ‘x-y’ are understood to include x and y. When for aspecific feature multiple preferred ranges are described in the format‘from x to y’ or ‘x-y’, it is understood that all ranges combining thedifferent endpoints are also contemplated. For the purpose of theinvention ambient temperature is defined as a temperature of about 20°C.

Unless indicated otherwise, weight percentages (wt. %) are based on thetotal weight of the composition.

The water content of the water-continuous composition refers to thetotal water content, thus including the water that is present within theingredients, i.e. sunflower seeds.

The term “sunflower seed” as used herein refers to kernels of Helianthusannuus. Sunflower seed kernels typically contain, approximately, 48 wt.% lipid (oil), 20 wt. % protein, 20 wt. % carbohydrate, 8 wt. % fibre, 4wt. % water.

The term “roasted” as used herein refers to sunflower seeds that havebeen subjected to a heat treatment step of heating in the range of140-200° C. for at least 1 minute.

The term “raw” as used herein refers to sunflower seeds that are intheir natural state, i.e. have not been subjected to a roastingtreatment.

The term “comminuted” as used herein refers to seeds that have beensubjected to a milling, grinding or other crushing step to producecomminuted seeds whereby at least 90 wt. % of the comminuted sunflowerseeds pass through a sieve with a mesh size of 2000 μm.

The term “structurant” as used herein refers to a structuring agent.Structuring agents are well known in the field of emulsion technology. Astructurant (or structuring agent) may contribute to the structure,texture, stability and appearance of the composition, in particular(edible) water-continuous compositions, and also help provide thephysical structure and water retention properties thereof. In thepresent invention, the structurant can be provided by comminuted, rawand roasted sunflower seeds.

Water-continuous compositions according to the invention encompassdispersions comprising two main phases, a continuous phase and aparticulate phase. The particulate phase comprises comminuted sunflowerseeds. The continuous phase is water-continuous. Preferably, thewater-continuous phase is an oil-in-water emulsion having an oil phase,for example oil present in the sunflower seeds released on comminutingthe sunflower seeds, and a water phase. Without wishing to be bound bytheory, the inventors propose that the proteins present in thecomminuted sunflower seeds emulsifies the oil phase and is furtherstabilized by the comminuted sunflower seeds.

It will be appreciated that the amount of structuring provided by thecomminuted sunflower seeds necessary for imparting structure depends onthe total amount of oil phase and the desired structure. For a stable,spreadable consistency a certain amount of sunflower seeds is necessary.If the amount of sunflower seeds is too low, a stable composition maynot be obtained and the resulting composition may suffer from syneresis.

We have found that it is possible to obtain a composition having apleasant roasted taste while maintaining an acceptable structure, e.g.plasticity, and organoleptic properties, e.g. good mouthfeel, when 5-50wt. % of the comminuted sunflower seeds are roasted sunflower seeds. Wehave found that a relative high amount of roasted seeds can beincorporated to impart desirable flavour characteristics withoutadversely affecting spread stability and structure.

The composition according to the present invention comprises comminutedsunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds can be comminuted using sizereduction techniques known in the art. Preferably, comminution iscarried out by milling, cutting, grinding or a combination thereof.

Comminution can be carried out on dry or wet sunflower seeds.Alternatively, comminution process can be carried out whilst thesunflower seeds are dispersed in a suitable liquid. Such wet comminutionmay for instance be carried out in water, oil, or mixtures thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least 90 wt. %of the comminuted sunflower seeds pass through a sieve with a mesh sizeof 2000 μm. Preferably at least 90 wt. % of the comminuted sunflowerseeds passes a sieve with a mesh size of 1000 μm. More preferably atleast 90 wt. % of the comminuted sunflower seeds pass through a sievewith a mesh size of 500 μm. If too many of the comminuted sunflower seedparticles are too large, they are likely to lead to a grainy/grittymouthfeel upon consumption of the composition.

Accordingly, the comminuted sunflower seeds have a particle sizedistribution with a D90 less than 2000 μm preferably less than 1000 μm.

Preferably, the comminuted sunflower seeds have a particle sizedistribution with a D50 less than 1000 μm.

“D10” “D50” and “D90” as used herein refer to the particle sizedistributions of the sunflower seeds. For example, the “D10” is thediameter at which 10% of the sample's mass is comprised of particleswith a diameter less than this value. The “D50” is the diameter of theparticle that 50% of a sample's mass is smaller than and 50% of asample's mass is larger than.

“D10” “D50” and “D90” can be measured by sieves or by light scattering.The method is known to the skilled person and is commonly used todetermine particle size distribution of seed particles.

The comminuted sunflower seeds can be suitably visualized in thecomposition by means of XRT (X-ray micro computed tomography, also knownas micro-CT) or SEM (scanning electron microscopy).

In a preferred embodiment, the edible, water-continuous compositionaccording to the invention comprises 2-80 wt. %, edible oil, preferably10-70 wt. % edible oil, more preferably 20-60 wt. % edible oil, byweight of the composition.

The term “edible oil” as used herein refers to oil present in thecomposition, which oil may be present in the comminuted sunflower seedsor exogenous oil that is additional to the endogenous sunflower seedoil.

The term “oil” as used herein refers to lipids selected fromtriglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides and combinations thereof.Preferably the oil in the context of this invention comprises at least90 wt. % of triglycerides, more preferably at least 95 wt. %. Preferablythe oil contains less than 20 wt. % of solid oil at 5° C., preferablyless than 10 wt. % solid oil. More preferred the oil is free from solidoil at 5° C. Most preferred the oil is liquid at 5° C.

Preferred oils for use in the context of this invention are vegetableoils, bean oil, olive oils, seed oils and nut oils which are liquid at5° C. Preferably the oil comprises almond oil, coconut oil, cottonseedoil, hazelnut oil, maize oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil,pumpkin oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, andcombinations of these oils. Preferably the edible oil is sunflower,linseed or pumpkin oil. The mono-unsaturated fatty acids as comprised inthe oil preferably comprises oleic acid. The poly-unsaturated fattyacids as comprised in the oil preferably comprise linoleic acid andlinolenic acid.

Preferably, the edible oil has a solid fat content at 20° C. (N₂₀) of0-15% and a liquid oil content at 20° C. that equals 100%−N₂₀.

The edible oil in the composition more preferably has a solid fatcontent at 20° C. (N₂₀) of less than 10%, even more preferably a N₂₀ ofless than 5% and most preferably a N₂₀ of 0%.

The edible oil in the composition preferably has a solid fat content at35° C. (N₃₅) of less than 5%, more preferably a N₃₅ of less than 3% andmost preferably a N₃₅ of 0%.

Preferably the composition of the invention comprises from 5% to 80% byweight of edible oil, preferably from 10% to 70% by weight, preferablyfrom 15% to 60% by weight even more preferably 20 to 50 wt. % of oil.Preferably the amount of oil is at least 10% by weight, preferably atleast 20% by weight, preferably at least 30% by weight. Preferably theconcentration of edible oil is maximally 75% by weight, preferablymaximally 70% by weight, preferably maximally 65%.

Any combination of ranges using these mentioned end points areconsidered to be part of the invention as well.

Preferably the composition is in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion.Preferably the composition is an edible emulsion. Examples ofoil-in-water emulsions encompassed by the present invention includemayonnaise, dressings, salad dressings, spreads and sauces.

The ratio of dry matter (comminuted sunflower seeds) by weight to theoil phase, lies within the range of 2:1 to 0.1:1. More preferably, saidweight ratio in the composition lies within the range of 1.8 to 0.5:1.

The composition preferably comprises 30-70 wt. % water, by weight of thecomposition, preferably 40 to 60 wt. %, even more preferably 45-55 wt.%.

The composition contains a mixture of raw and roasted sunflower seeds.Preferably the composition comprises 10-40 wt. % raw sunflower seeds byweight of composition, preferably 20-30 wt. % raw sunflower seeds,

Preferably, the composition comprises, based on the total amount of rawand roasted sunflower seeds, 10-75 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds,preferably 15-50 wt. %, more preferably 20-30 wt. %, most preferably25-40 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds.

Preferably, the ratio of roasted sunflower seeds to raw sunflower seedsis in the range of 1:2 to 1:8, preferably 1:3 to 1:7, more preferably1:4 to 1:6.

Preferably the composition has a pH at 25° C. ranging from 2 to 6,preferably ranging from 3 to 5, more preferred from 3.5 to 4.5.Preferably, this pH is obtained by using an organic acid. Preferably theorganic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid,citric acid, lactic acid or a combination of two or more thereof.

The organic acid may, in some preferred embodiments, be provided by asource of organic acid. Preferably, the source of organic acid is afoodstuff. Suitable sources of organic acid include citrus fruit juicesand vinegar. For example, lemon juice is a preferred source of citricacid.

In a preferred embodiment, the composition has a roasted taste andstable oil droplets, the oil droplets having a D3,3 between 2-10 μm,preferably between 3-8 μm as measured by 1 H-NMR.

Preferably, the oil droplets present in the composition of the inventionhave a volume weighted mean droplet size D3,3 of less than 10 μm,preferably ranging from 0.3 to 10 μm, preferably ranging from 0.5 to 8μm. This mean diameter may suitably be determined using the methoddescribed by Goudappel et al. (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science239, p. 535-542, 2001). Preferably, 80 to 100% of the total volume ofthe oil droplets contained in the present emulsion have a diameter ofless than 15 μm, more preferably a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 10 μm.

Preferably, the edible, water-continuous composition comprises:

a) 25-60 wt. %, by weight of the composition, water,

b) 10-35 wt. % by weight of the composition comminuted, raw sunflowerseeds,

c) 5-15 wt. %, by weight of the composition, comminuted, roastedsunflower seeds,

d) 15-50 wt. %, by weight of the composition, edible oil.

In preferred embodiment, the edible, water-continuous compositioncomprises 30-55 wt. % comminuted sunflower seeds, wherein the comminutedsunflower seeds consists of 60-80 wt. %, by weight of sunflower seeds,raw sunflower seeds and 20-40 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds.

Preferably, the edible, water-continuous composition comprises:

a) 40-60 wt. %, by weight of the composition, water,

b) 20-35 wt. % by weight of the composition comminuted, raw sunflowerseeds,

c) 5-15 wt. %, by weight of the composition, comminuted, roastedsunflower seeds,

d) 15-30 wt. %, by weight of the composition, edible oil.

In preferred embodiment, the edible, water-continuous compositioncomprises 30-55 wt. % comminuted sunflower seeds, wherein the comminutedsunflower seeds consists of 60-80 wt. %, by weight of sunflower seeds,raw sunflower seeds and 20-40 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds.

Preferably, the edible, water-continuous composition comprises:

a) 20-40 wt. %, by weight of the composition, water,

b) 7-20 wt. % by weight of the composition comminuted, raw sunflowerseeds,

c) 2-10 wt. %, by weight of the composition, comminuted, roastedsunflower seeds,

d) 40-70 wt. %, by weight of the composition, edible oil.

In preferred embodiment, the edible, water-continuous compositioncomprises 10-30 wt. % comminuted sunflower seeds, wherein the comminutedsunflower seeds consists of 60-80 wt. %, by weight of sunflower seeds,raw sunflower seeds and 20-40 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds.

The composition of the invention may suitably contain one or moreadditional ingredients. Examples of such optional ingredients includesalt, spices, sugars (in particular mono and/or disaccharides), edibleacids such as citric acid and lactic acid, mustard, vitamins,flavouring, colouring, preservatives, antioxidants, herbs and vegetablepieces. Preferably, such optional additives collectively do not make upmore than 40%, more preferably not more than 20% by weight of thecomposition.

The embodiments that have been described herein before in the context ofthe composition of the invention equally apply to this method, accordingto the invention, for the preparation of such a composition.

Preferably, the edible water-continuous composition is obtainable by aprocess comprising the step of mixing 5-50 wt. % comminuted, rawsunflower seeds with 2-25 wt. % comminuted, roasted sunflower seeds with15-80 wt. % water and optionally 2-80 wt. % oil.

In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for thepreparation of an edible water-continuous composition, comprising thesteps of:

-   -   i) comminuting 5-50 parts by weight raw sunflower seeds and 2-25        parts by weight roasted sunflower seeds in the presence of 15-80        parts by weight water to provide a dispersion of comminuted raw        and roasted sunflower seeds in water,    -   ii) optionally providing 2-80 parts by weight oil together with        the other ingredients of step i) or mixed in to the resultant        dispersion provided by step i).

Preferably, 10-40 parts by weight raw sunflower seeds, more preferably20-30 parts by weight raw sunflower seeds are provided in step i).Preferably 2-20 parts by weight roasted sunflower seeds, more preferably5-15 parts by weight roasted sunflower seeds are provided in step i).

Preferably, 20-70 parts by weight water, more preferably 30-60 parts byweight water are provided in step i).

Preferably 2-70 parts by weight oil, more preferably 5-60 parts byweight, even more preferably 10-50 parts by weight, most preferably20-30 parts by weight oil are provided in step i) or step ii).

In a preferred embodiment, step i) is carried out a temperature between15 and 105° C., preferably between 15 and 35° C. It has been found thatthe organoleptic properties of the composition according to theinvention can be affected by the temperature at which the sunflowerseeds are comminuted. Preferably, the sunflower seeds are comminuted ata temperature of between 15 and 35° C. Without wishing to be bound bytheory, comminution carried out between 15 and 35° C. has been found toproduce a finer particle size and better dispersion of protein whichadvantageously provides a particularly stable composition. There is apreference for carrying out step i) by grinding the raw and roastedseeds together. It has been found that the dispersion is perceived to bemore smooth

Preferably, the method of the invention produces the compositionaccording to the invention as described herein before.

The composition that is produced by the present method is preferablyfilled into a container (e.g. a jar or tub), a pouch or a sachet.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to the use ofcomminuted sunflower seeds consisting of 5-50 wt. % roasted sunflowerseeds and 25-95 wt. % raw sunflower seeds as a structurant (orstructuring agent) for edible water-continuous compositions. Theinventors have found that the combination of raw and roasted comminutedraw sunflower seeds provides a natural means to provide stablewater-continuous compositions having a pleasant, creamy texture, whichmeet the consumer need for vegan alternative spreads.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a cryo-SEM image of an aspect of a raw sunflower seed particlein a comminuted sunflower seed composition.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic presentation of the cryo-SEM raw sunflower seedparticle of FIG. 1. Legend:

Cell wall

Oil droplets

Aggregated oil

Protein body

FIG. 3 is a cryo-SEM image of an aspect of a roasted sunflower seedparticle in a comminuted sunflower seed composition.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic presentation of the cryo-SEM roasted sunflowerseed particle of FIG. 3. Legend:

Cell wall

Oil droplets

Aggregated oil

Protein body

Oil continuous protein body

EXAMPLES

General Procedures

Firmness

To determine the firmness of the end products, the storage modulusmodulus (G′) was measured by a Modular Compact Rheometer 302(manufacturer Anton Paar GmbH, Graz, Austria). A parallel plate systemwas used having a probe diameter of 25 mm. A sample was taken directlyfrom the fridge (stored at 5° C.) and a spoon was used to put about 15grams of the sample material on the platform. Gap was set at 4 mm.Strain was set at 0.01%, frequency at 1 HZ and temperature at 20° C. G′was recorded after 120 seconds.

Oil Droplet Size

To determine the oil droplet sizes, a Bruker minispec mq 20 instrument(Bruker Corporation, Billerica, Mass., USA) was used, according to themethod of Goudappel et al, 2001. An aliquot of the sample was gentlyinjected into a 10 mm outside diameter NMR tube to fill the tube to 1 cmfilling height. The filled tube was put in the measurement case of theinstrument, and the D3,3 oil droplet size was recorded.

Imaging

Cryo Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

A tiny volume of each sample (one droplet) was placed on top of a rivetand plunge-frozen in melting ethane. The sample was cryo-planed using acryo-ultramicrotome (Leica Ultracut UCT EM FC7), to obtain a freshlyprepared cross-section. Cryo-planing (Nijsse and van Aelst, 1999,Scanning 21(6): 372-378) was done first with section thickness of 100 nmand a speed of 60 mm/sec using a glass knife. The last sections weremade at decreasing thickness, down to 20 nm, and down to a speed of 1mm/sec using a diamond knife (Diatome histocryo 6 mm) all at −110° C.

The rivet was mounted onto a SEM holder and transferred into a GatanAlto2500 preparation chamber. To reveal the microstructures just underthe planed surface, the temperature of the sample was increased for ashort while to −90° C. to remove a thin layer of ice by sublimation.This yielded a 3D view on the planed sample. The sample was sputtercoated with platinum (30 sec) for a better SEM contrast and to preventcharging by the electron beam. The sample was imaged using a ZeissAuriga field-emission SEM at −125° C. and an accelerating voltage of 3kV. Two secondary electron detectors were used. The Everhart-Thornleydetector (ET) in the microscope chamber, which provided images with hightopographical contrast, and the In-Lens detector, which provided highedge contrast, which in case of the current study provided aquasi-compositional contrast (oil and other non-aqueous structures:black, other material: white and grey).

Characteristic X-rays were used to identify the composition and measurethe local abundance of elements in samples. The detection of X-rays wasperformed by an Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector (SEM-EDX, Oxford Max 80mm2) and Aztec software. Accelerating voltage of 10 kV was used.

A notable difference was found between sunflower seed particles that hadbeen roasted and sunflower seed particles that been added raw. Thisdifference was present despite the pasteurization treatment which allparticles had undergone during manufacturing of the spreads.

FIG. 1 is a cryo-SEM image of an aspect of a raw sunflower seed particlein a comminuted sunflower seed composition. FIG. 3 is a cryo-SEM imageof an aspect of a roasted sunflower seed particle in a comminutedsunflower seed composition. The cells of a raw particle show a clearseparation of protein bodies and individual small oil droplets. Thecells of a roasted particle show largely aggregated oil, whichapparently has infused the protein bodies, resulting in oil continuousprotein bodies with voids.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of FIG. 1, where structures havebeen classified as indicated in the legend. Similarly, FIG. 4 is aschematic representation of FIG. 3.

Example 1

TABLE 1 Table 1 General formulation of edible water-continuouscompositions tested. Quantity in % (w/w) Ingredient Sample 1 Sample 2Sample 3 Water 58.4 48.6 28.8 Roasted sunflower seed 10 7.5 5 kernelsRaw sunflower seed kernels 30 22.5 15 Refined sunflower seed oil 0 20.050 Citric acid 0.85 0.65 0.45 Sodium chloride 0.7 0.7 0.7 Potassiumsorbate 0.1 0.1 0.1

Raw seed kernels were dehulled sunflower seeds, obtained fromwww.pit-pit.com.

Roasting was performed using a Philips Avance Airfryer XL. A metal wiredsieve with 250 μm sized openings (Retsch, Germany) was clamped in theAir Fryer basket to prevent the seeds from falling through the coarsewiring of the frying basket. Roasted seed kernels were obtained byroasting 300 gram raw seeds in the Airfryer, at 180° C. during 8minutes. Seeds were quickly stirred halfway the roasting process. Afterroasting, the seeds were spread on paper towel to allow cooling down toroom temperature.

The samples were prepared in a Thermomix TM31 device as follows:

-   -   Sodium Chloride and Potassium Sorbate were dissolved in the        water.    -   Seeds and oil were added and the rotation speed of the blade was        set to max (10) without heating, for 6 minutes.    -   A Thermomix wall scraper was inserted    -   Citric acid was added. Rotation speed was set at 4 and        temperature was set at 90° C.    -   Once 90° C. was reached, stirring at speed 4 was continued for 7        min.    -   The hot spread was scooped into a heat-resistant piping bag, and        therewith piped into 200 ml glass jars.    -   The filled jars were allowed to cool down and were stored in a        refrigerator until further analysis.

Example 2

Samples with different ratios of roasted seeds vs raw seeds, accordingto the method described in Example 1.

TABLE 2 Ingredient Comp A Sample 2 Comp B Water 48.6 48.6 48.6 Roastedsunflower seed 30 7.5 — kernels Raw sunflower seed kernels — 22.5 30Refined sunflower seed oil 20.0 20.0 20.0 Citric acid 0.65 0.65 0.65Sodium chloride 0.7 0.7 0.7 Potassium sorbate 0.1 0.1 0.1

TABLE 3 Comp A Sample 2 Comp B Roasted taste 5 4 0 Acrid aftertaste −− + Creamy mouthfeel − ++ + Stability (D3,3 in μm) >>10 3.7 2.2 Firmness(Elastic Modulus in Pa) N.M* 12339 14695 *N.M.: not measurable

Taste and mouthfeel was assessed by a taste panel. Roasted taste wasassessed on a 5 point scale, whereby 5 indicated a strong roasted tasteand 0 no roasted taste. The samples were also evaluated for thelingering, acrid aftertaste that is characteristic for raw sunflowerseeds. Unexpectedly, sample 2 was found to lack the acrid aftertaste,which is a dominant characteristic of comparative example B. Themouthfeel of the samples was also assessed and sample 2 was found tohave the creamiest mouthfeel. Comparative example B was less creamy thansample 2 and comparative sample A was not creamy but rather had acloying texture.

Comparative sample A is an unstable sunflower seed emulsion, which wasnot amenable to firmness measurement due to oil separation. Comparativesample B shows a stable sunflower seed emulsion that lacks the appealingtaste of roasted sunflower seeds.

Sample 2 is a stable composition, essentially free of syneresis, withthe appealing taste of roasted sunflower seeds, and this roasted tasteis not hindered by a significant presence of raw seeds.

Example 3

This example was performed like example 2, now without additional oil:

TABLE 4 Quantity in % (w/w) Ingredient Comp C Sample 4 Comp D Water 58.458.4 58.4 Roasted sunflower seed 40 10 — kernels Raw sunflower seedkernels — 30 40 Refined sunflower seed oil — — — Citric acid 0.85 0.850.85 Sodium chloride 0.7 0.7 0.7 Potassium sorbate 0.1 0.1 0.1

TABLE 5 Comp C Sample 4 Comp D Roasted taste 5 4 0 Acrid aftertaste −− + Creamy mouthfeel − ++ − Stability (D3,3 in μm) >>10 3.98 2.19Firmness (Elastic Modulus in Pa) N.M. 17980 20947 *N.M.: not measurable

Comparative sample C is an unstable sunflower seed emulsion, indicatingthat structuring was not complete when applying roasted seeds only.Firmness could not be measured.

Comparative sample D shows a stable sunflower seed emulsion that lacksthe appealing taste of roasted sunflower seeds and is dominated by anacrid aftertaste.

Sample 4 is a stable composition with the appealing taste of roastedsunflower seeds, and this roasted taste is not hindered by a significantpresence of raw seeds, and also has a creamy mouthfeel.

Example 4

Comparative sample F is an oil continuous seed spread, consisting ofroasted sunflower seeds.

Ingredient Quantity in % (w/w) Roasted sunflower seed kernels 79.5 Honey13.2 Refined sunflower seed oil 6.0 Sodium chloride 1.3

This comparative sample F was prepared in a Thermomix TM31 device asfollows:

-   -   All seeds were roasted as described in Example 1    -   Seeds and salt were added into Thermomix vessel and grinded at        speed 5 during 20 minutes. No heating was applied        -   After 10 minutes of the grinding, the oil was added.        -   After 15 minutes of the grinding, the honey was added.

This comparative sample F shows a straightforward method to create astable oil continuous spread using all roasted sunflower seeds, being astable product. However, the product has an undesirable cloying texturecompared to the products according to the invention.

Example 5

The ratio's of raw v.s. roasted seeds were varied in the composition asdefined in Example 3. Samples were prepared containing 5%, 10%, 25 and35% roasted seeds (on 100% seeds (comminuted raw and roasted). Thesamples varied in firmness (G′-value) and roasting flavour, but allproduced stable products.

Roasted Roasting Sample code seeds G′ D3,3 flavour pH Comparative 014695 2.22 0 4.58 (100% raw seeds) A  5% 14953 2.14 1 4.55 B 10% 135882.78 2 4.55 C 25% 12339 3.73 4 4.64 D 35% ND ND 4 ND

1. An edible, water-continuous composition comprising, a. 15-80 wt. %water, by weight of the composition, and b. 5-50 wt. % comminutedsunflower seeds, by weight of the composition, wherein the comminutedsunflower seeds consist of raw sunflower seeds and roasted sunflowerseeds such that 5-50 wt. % of the comminuted sunflower seeds is roastedsunflower seeds.
 2. The edible, water-continuous composition accordingto claim 1, wherein at least 90 wt. % of the comminuted sunflower seedspass through a sieve with a mesh size of 2000 μm.
 3. The edible,water-continuous composition, according to claim 1, comprising 2-80 wt.% edible oil, by weight of the composition.
 4. The edible,water-continuous composition according to claim 1, comprising 30-70 wt.%, by weight of the composition, water.
 5. The edible, water-continuouscomposition according to claim 1, comprising 10-40 wt. %, by weight ofthe composition, raw sunflower seeds.
 6. The edible, water-continuouscomposition according to claim 1, comprising, based on the total amountof raw and roasted sunflower seeds, 5-45 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds.7. The edible, water-continuous composition according to claim 1,wherein the ratio of roasted sunflower seeds to raw sunflower seeds isin the range of 1:2 to 1:10.
 8. The edible, water-continuous compositionaccording to claim 1, comprising an acid selected from the groupconsisting of acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid or a combination oftwo or more thereof, said acid providing a pH in the range of 2-6. 9.The edible, water-continuous composition according to claim 1, being aspread having a roasted taste and stable oil droplets, the oil dropletshaving a volume weighted mean droplet size between 2 and 10 μm, asmeasured by ¹H-NMR.
 10. The edible, water-continuous compositionaccording to claim 1, comprising: a) 25-60 wt. %, by weight of thecomposition, water, b) 10-35 wt. % by weight of the compositioncomminuted raw sunflower seeds, c) 5-15 wt. %, by weight of thecomposition, comminuted and roasted sunflower seeds, d) 15-50 wt. %, byweight of the composition, edible oil.
 11. The edible water-compositionaccording to claim 1 obtainable by a process comprising the step ofmixing 5-50 wt. % comminuted, raw sunflower seeds and 2-25 wt. %comminuted, roasted sunflower seeds with 15-80 wt. % water.
 12. A methodfor the preparation of an edible water-continuous composition accordingto claim 1, comprising the steps of: i) grinding 5-50 wt. % rawsunflower seeds and 2-25 wt. % roasted sunflower seeds, ii) mixing thecomminuted sunflower seeds of step i) with 15-80 wt. % water, to providea dispersion of comminuted raw and roasted sunflower seeds in water,iii) optionally, adding 2-80 wt. % oil before or after step i) or ii)).13. The method according to claim 12, wherein step ii) and/or step iii)is carried out simultaneously with step i).
 14. The method according toclaim 12, wherein step i) is carried out at temperature between 15 and105° C.
 15. (canceled)